After the Storm
by Yuuki223
Summary: "...I'll get you out, though. Don't worry." He said, in his deep angelic voice. Oc/Jensen *I haven't finished the game yet (I'm going to do a slight re-write)
1. Chapter 1

Lucy

Lucy played with her hair, the brown waves refusing to come out. She sighed in frustration and reached for something in her purse. Someone grabbed her hand. She looked up in the mirror, quickly. Alex, her high school best friend, was holding her hand. She knew he liked her, but she didn't want to breach the line of friendship.

"I think you look just fine." He said, smiling softly at her.

"You always say that." Lucy said, irritated. She pulled her hand out of his. Lucy turned to face him.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked, still irritated. Alex took a step back and looked down at his feet.

"I wanted to ask you if you were going to the valentine's dance…" He started to say. Lucy turned around and looked in the mirror again.

"We're not in high school anymore, Alex. Even if it was high school, I wouldn't go." Lucy said to him, trying to not crush him.

"I know…It was worth a shot." He said, sounding relieved. Lucy turned around and gave him a sympathetic look.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Veronica said that you'd be the only girl that would ever go to the dance with me. I like you, but you can be mean." Alex said, smiling softly at her.

"I know, and you know that I'm sorry for that." Lucy said, smiling at him. Lucy glanced over at the vent, and saw smoke. Alex did the same thing. Lucy turned to the door but someone slammed it shut.

"Lucy…!" Alex said, nervous.

"I know…I think…The gas is…" Lucy started to say, but she began to feel light headed. Alex clutched the ledge with the sinks with force, trying to support himself. Lucy collapsed, blacking out as she lay on the ground.

Lucy had never been so heavily sedated in her life. She was trying to wake up, but falling back into a light slumber. Finally, Lucy was able to force herself into consciousness. SWAT officers were staring at a bomb. Her heartbeat quickened. A man came onto the television. He was giving a cruel smile to the people. The man had three people in the room with them. Lucy could identify them all; Alex, Veronica, and Felipe. A shiver was sent through Lucy's spine. Lucy tried to move, and felt a cluster of wires tied around her. She looked down at where the wires were. The wires were tied around Lucy's ankles, and her wrists. The wire then circulated up and into her mouth, creating a gag. She breathed as calmly as she could, and patiently waited.

"Tell us the code!" One of the SWAT officers ordered. The man on the screen smiled.

"There is no code. That's where Zake fucked up. He left a code. See? I've also made it a smart bomb." The man said in a quiet, raspy voice.

"What do you mean by a 'smart bomb'?" One of the SWAT officers asked.

"Try to cut the wires off, and it goes off. If you try to take it out of the room, it also goes off. See? I've placed it in the room below all of the hostages. It has a switch to it too. One only I carry. If you try anything funky, boom. It goes off." He said. The SWAT officers all exchanged a glance. Lucy lay, listening to what this man was saying in shock, closing her eyes and trying to breathe slowly. She would die because of this. Lucy heard the officers leaving. Lucy opened her eyes, looking towards the door and saw a man. Sunglasses blocked his eyes, but she knew his eyes were most likely augmented. He had augmented arms as well. He carefully stared at her, studying her. He then looked at the television screen; the man's back turned to them. He watched the man on the screen for a little bit, and turned his attention to the bomb. He carefully grabbed the wires at Lucy's ankles. He lightly pulled them loose enough to let Lucy pull her legs out, but not hard enough to snap them. Lucy carefully removed her legs from the wire, responding to the man's silent plea. He got her wrists free, and Lucy helped him with the tie around herself and her mouth. She stared at him, with a thankful smile. He glanced at the television through the corner of his eye. He then sighed, and picked Lucy up. Lucy winced at the cold metal that touched behind her knees, and hugged the man's neck.

"Are you going to hurt me?" She had asked him.

"No. No I'm not. I'm here to help. Since those little fuckers came in before they were supposed to, it's been a full-on shootout. I'll get you out, though. Don't worry." He said, in his deep angelic voice. He quietly carried her to the door, but then he stopped. A slight smile spread across his face. Lucy thought that it was very beautiful; it didn't look like he grinned often.

"See you." He said. Then he stepped out of the room. He ran to the nearest form of cover as the bomb exploded, using his back to block anything that could have hit Lucy.

"Were the hostages…Are they okay?" Lucy blurted out.

"Yes. I got them out of that room before heading down." He said. Lucy gave a nod, and stayed silent. He then headed towards the employee staircase. It lead up to the offices. When he got up, he looked around the corner to make sure no one was coming, and quietly turned down the hall.

"Which one is your office?" He asked.

"Are you going to leave me there?" Lucy asked in response.

"It's the safest place. If you have a locked room with no shaft heading in, the only way people can get to you is through the door." The man replied.

"Unless they're augmented and can punch through a wall." Lucy said, shaking a little at the thought. The man made no response, and Lucy sighed.

"Two twenty four." Lucy said, her voice quivering. She didn't want him to let go of her. She felt safe.

"Five-three-two-three." Lucy said, "That's how you get in."

"Thanks." The man said. He punched the code in and opened the door. He walked to her desk and lightly set her in the chair. He moved her face to look at him. Despite what she'd been through, she wondered what he would do if she just planted a kiss. Lucy quickly ignored that thought; petty crush feelings.

"Stay here." He told her.

"Okay. Thanks." Lucy said, trying to calm her nerves. The man gave her a gun, and a small amount of ammunition. Lucy held the gun in her hands, shaking and looking at him in disbelief.

"If someone other than SWAT enters this office, shoot them. I don't want SWAT removing your corpse if it can be avoided." The man told Lucy. Quietly, she nodded. The man gave her a nod. He walked out of her office and turned to the puncher.

"What's your name?" She asked just before he closed the door.

"We'll have time for pleasantries later." He said, giving her a look, "So long as you survive."

Lucy only nodded in reply. The man punched her code in, locking the door. He closed it. He gave her one last look through the door, to make sure she knew he was leaving now, and then walked down the hall. Lucy leaned back in her chair. She noticed she lacked footwear. She sighed, and rubbed her head with a shaking hand. Is Alex okay? She thought. Lucy booted up her computer. She saw that she couldn't access the camera for that room. Lucy sighed and rubbed her head again, covering her eyes. She booted her computer down. She leaned back in her chair again. Lucy softly closed her eyes.

Lucy woke up to someone knocking on her office door, loudly. She sat up immediately. Lucy grabbed her gun, pointing it slyly at the door with shaking hands.

"This is SWAT. We need you to open your door, now!" A man shouted. Lucy sighed in relief and set the gun down. She tried to stand, but her legs were still shaking too hard. Lucy closed her eyes and sighed.

"The pass code is five-three-two-three." She said in reply. The officer punched in the code, and then came into the room. He looked at Lucy first, and then around the office, making sure she was alone. Meanwhile, Lucy picked up her real bag and slipped the gun inside it. She also slipped the ammo in. She looked up at the officer while she closed the bag up, wondering if he'd kill her. It never crossed her mind to actually check and see if he was an officer. The man's ominous words snuck back into her head, and she grew pale. The officer gave a grunt, and looked at her. He knelt down in front of her, taking her shaking hands. He looked real enough. He was also wearing a SWAT vest, so she figured he was the real deal.

"Can you walk?" He asked her. Lucy shook her head. She set her bag in her lap. The officer picked Lucy up the same way the man did. She carefully breathed a sigh of relief. She knew that it would be safe now, at least she hoped.

She was taken in for questioning, but they didn't go too rough on her. She told the people everything that happened to her, including the man giving her a gun. They didn't really approve of him giving her a weapon. They wanted to take it from her, and she would have let them. When they saw what type of gun it was, they gave it back, telling Lucy she had to give it back to its rightful owner. She nervously played with her bag.

"Is Alex okay?" She asked. The officer shook his head.

"He and the two others in captivity were killed." The officer said, "I'm sorry to say."

Lucy lowered her gaze. Numbly, she finished the questioning and wandered around Detroit. She wasn't really paying any attention to where she was going, but somehow she made it to her apartment building. The officers at the station were kind enough to give Lucy someone's shoes. They told her the person who had them wouldn't need them anymore. Lucy took them off when she got inside and threw them away. When she got into her apartment, she saw her computer was on. Chills ran down her spine. Why would someone break in just to look in her computer? She hesitantly walked over to it. She saw a note by it.

Call 313.244.5782.

Hesitantly, Lucy picked up her cell phone. It could be a trap, she thought, or worse. She slowly dialed that number. She put the phone to her ear and waited for only a few seconds. There was an immediate answer. For a while it was quiet, neither of them talking. Lucy felt like someone was going to shoot her now.

"Hello?" Lucy asked, nervous.

"Hi there. I need you to do something for me." The man from before said.

"Why?" She asked, relaxing slightly. How did she know this wasn't a ploy?

"I understand why you are hesitant, but I'm not the enemy. I want to help you. Now, I need you to walk to your window across from you for just a second." He said.

"How can you—Oh right..."

"Look down onto the road. I'm going to wave. Place your hand on the window if you see me wave." The man said calmly.

"Alright..." Lucy said. She walked over to the window and looked down. She saw the man wave up. She placed her hand on the window.

"Good. Now, I'm going to come up to your apartment later, since I'm getting another call. Expect me from any time between 5:30 pm to 5:40 am." The man said. Lucy removed her hand from the window and looked frustrated. She rubbed her head.

"See you soon." Lucy said, trying to hide her annoyance. She hung up and tossed her phone onto her couch. She facepalmed. Lucy rubbed her head and then looked up at the ceiling of her house, her hand finding its way over her mouth shakily. She walked to her computer to check what he'd looked through, but felt the strange urge to sit on her couch and wait. So that is what she did.


	2. Chapter 2

Adam

Adam looked up and saw that the woman placed her hand on the window.

"Good. Now, I'm going to come up to your apartment later, since I'm getting another call. Expect me from any time between 5:30 pm to 5:40 am." He said, watching her expression change to one of frustration.

"See you soon." She said, her voice having trace amounts of annoyance. She hung up. He watched her toss the phone to her couch. He saw her facepalm, and then rub her head. That's when he turned around and walked away.

"Adam, what the hell was that?" Sarif shouted in his head.

"What do you mean?" He said, in his monotone.

"Adam you know what I meant! You let the bastard go!" Sarif was about to give him a lecture.

"Jensen did what he felt was right. Leave the poor chap alone." Prichard said onto the conversation.

"Shut up Prichard." Sarif said.

"Had you not gone through and hired some additional help, I wouldn't have to save our precious machines and weapons like the Typhoon from the purists, as well as the scientists you put on them. While I do have augments, I'm still human. I can't do everything, Sarif." Adam said when the moment was right. Sarif stayed silent.

"Adam's right." Prichard said simply. The ironic thing was ever since Jensen got his augments, Prichard had been somewhat kind to him, in his own unique way. Adam looked back at the building. He sighed. He couldn't see anybody coming into her room.

"Adam! I have another job for you." Sarif said.

"What is it?" He asked.

"I want you to invade a purist's lab. He took some information of ours during this attack, and I want you to get it back. I'll send the coordinates to Prichard, and he'll get a map. I want you to take all the information you can. I don't care whether you let the purists live or die. Just don't let him escape again. I'd prefer it if you killed him." Sarif growled. Adam looked up at the sky.

"What will you do if I let him live?" He asked, "You won't fire me, so what else would there be? It's nearly impossible to turn off an Augmentation without killing me."

"Just get the job done, Jensen." Sarif shouted. He ended the call at that. Adam sighed, and rubbed his head, the sudden shout not helping him in his current slight-headache state. He looked towards where his radar showed he needed to go.

"Be careful Adam. Oh and also, I don't want this new girl calling the office." Prichard said.

"Don't worry. I gave her my personal number." Adam said, "That way I don't clog up the line. Besides, I'm not itching to have a relationship ever since..."

Prichard grunted on the other side in doubt. Adam did nothing to correct him. Adam quietly walked down the streets of Detroit. People would stare at him, and he hated it. He wanted them to just ignore him and let him get on with his life. One man would keep running up to him, always eager to follow him and even excited to see him. He saw the man again, and the man's face lit up like a puppy when its master comes home. He was a mediocre reporter trying to get a story together about people with augments. Of course, he came to Adam each and every time. Adam rubbed his head and prepared for annoyance.

"Hey you!" He said, waving. Adam gave him a hard stare with the small hope that it would drive him away. He knew it wouldn't considering his eyes were hidden by sunglasses.

"Thank God you're here! I want to ask you about some of your augments." He said, fumbling to get his notebook. Adam made an audible sigh.

"Haven't you asked me enough questions to get a goddamn book about it?" Adam asked, trying to be rude enough to ward the man off. He looked at Adam and gave him an ignorant smile.

"No, I haven't yet." He said.

"Why don't you ask a scientist or a doctor about these things? I can only answer your questions based on my experiences with them. I can't help you with the other people who aren't as unique as I am." Adam said, rubbing his head. The reporter looked at him in confusion.

"They never let me ask them anything." He said, sadly. Adam rubbed his head and sighed.

"Have you tried?" Adam asked him.

"Once." The reporter replied, "I got close enough and asked about the process, but the nurse shuffled me along. She told me that I needed to stop clogging up the line with my questions and to come back tomorrow."

"Why don't we go to a limb clinic and I can get one of the doctors to talk with you. Alright?" Adam said, "I'm busy tonight, so you'll have to follow me closely."

"Thank you!" The reporter said. Adam mumbled something and walked forward, the young reporter following closely. Adam could practically feel the kid's breathing on his back. He sighed and rubbed his head. The two of them walked (for the beginning of the journey, anyway) in silence. The reporter started to nervously ramble about things that he found interesting, and cool. Adam wasn't listening. He arrived at the LIMB clinic, the woman behind the desk looking up at Adam. She smiled warmly enough.

"Back again Mr. Jensen!" She commented.

"Do you know of any doctors available for interview?" Adam asked. She began to think intensely.

"Why do you need to talk to a doctor?" She asked, cautious.

"This man wants to interview one for a story about augments." Adam replied. The woman nodded.

"If you'll follow me sir, I can lead you to one." The woman said to the reporter.

"Thank you!" The reporter said, smiling at Adam. Adam ignored him. Adam walked outside and closed his eyes listening to the streets. He'd let himself blindly walk for a while, wondering if someone would come and try to kill him. His wonders were soon answered when he heard chanting.

"Jensen, get out of there! What the hell are you doing anyway?" Prichard said. Jensen turned around quickly enough when the people looked over, stopping their ritual like chanting.

"Shit." Adam whispered, backing away slowly. He wanted to reach for his gun, but he didn't. If these people were going to get rough, he'd need it.

"We don't like your parts around here." A protester said, stepping towards Adam.

"I'm just passing through. Let me go through and you won't cause trouble." Adam said. The protester smiled at him. Adam glanced over his shoulder, more people filing in behind him.

"Adam…" Prichard warned. Adam didn't respond.

"I'm not worth your time." He tried convincing the protester.

"I'm not sure about that, buddy." He said, smiling, "Why don't you let us test that out for ourselves?"

"No I won't." Adam said, and started to walk away from the mass that was walking to him.

"The crowd is moving in your direction. I'd suggest you leave now. You should have been paying more attention." Prichard said. To this, Adam looked over and saw people grabbing weapons.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Adam asked, turning around fully to face the crowd.

"Find a little shaft and crawl around like a little rat. Isn't that what you always do?" Prichard teased.

"Got it." Adam said. To that, the call was ended. Adam looked at the protester, who was going to swing his bat. Adam sighed and ran into the darkness, his speed making up for his sound. He ducked behind some cover and waited. He heard the shouts to find him. He closed his eyes and listened to the people. They were getting closer. He ran down the hallway and made a sharp left, and ran for a few more paces. He got to a door, opened it quickly and then shut it. He leaned against the door and ducked, causing them to not see him if they looked at the door. He heard footsteps come up to the door.

"Where did he go?!" a purist asked.

"I don't know…maybe he went that way!" another said. The footsteps led away from the door. He calmly stood up and walked down the doorway, opening the door and coming out into the main road. He strode along, as calmly as he could, and tried not to glance over his shoulder to make sure he was really off the hook. The more he did that, the more it would make the police think he was up to something. Adam walked to a bench and sat, he rubbed his forehead with a trembling hand. What freaked him out so much? He didn't know.

Carefully and quietly, Adam walked through a ventilation system. He breathed slowly to calm his nerves, he hated sneaking jobs. He was always afraid he'd get caught. He came out into a room and looked around, hiding behind whatever he could, but the place was empty. Not even guards were there.

"I know you've come for me, augment." The man said. Adam sighed and stood up. He looked at the man.

"How did you find that out?" Adam asked him.

"Lucky guess." The man said. He looked dead into Jensen's eyes. Adam said nothing. The man pulled out a gun, and as did Jensen. They stood in the standoff position. The man sighed.

"We don't have to do this." Adam said, calmly.

"Yes we do. I don't want to die, or go to prison." He said.

"I'm not going to die either. What do you suggest we do?" Adam said, cocking his head. The man clicked the gun out of safety and Jensen pulled the trigger. The man fell to the ground. Adam closed his eyes.

"You were a good man. I'm sorry it ended this way." He said. Adam walked over to the now dead man and checked his pockets. There was a small flash drive, presumably the one that was stolen from the lab during the raid. Adam put that in his pocket and grabbed the rest of what he needed off of the body before closing the man's eyes. He quickly gave a search of the place, finding no information that was new to them.

"Good work Adam!" Sarif said.

"Whatever. What next boss?" Adam said.

"I can't think of anything right now, and thank you. You've done a lot to help us." He said.

"He still isn't the one in charge of the attacks sir." Adam said, "He was just a puppet being used. I have a feeling we just got ourselves into some deep shit again."

"Don't worry about it, Adam. Just go check on that girl now. She's supposed to report here tomorrow." Sarif said, "Of course after you deliver that flash drive."

"Got it." Adam said, annoyed. He snuck out of the labs and got back to the main road.


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy

Lucy woke up suddenly to a soft knock to her door. She lazily looked over at the clock. It was about 3:30 am. Lucy yawned and sat up, stretching. She sat there for a little, waiting to wake up a little. Lucy noticed she was still on her couch, not in her room as she'd expected. Sighing, Lucy got up and wandered over to the door. She opened the door, revealing the man from earlier. She smiled, nervous all of a sudden. He did come in the time frame he'd set up, so she couldn't really be mad at him.

"You should really consider looking through the peephole before just opening your door. I could have been anybody." The man said, his monotone quite striking and very different from the tone he'd used the first time they'd met. Lucy nodded and nervously bit her lip. Lucy leaned against the doorframe.

"Would you like to come in?" She asked, trying not to let her nerves get to her. The man nodded calmly. Lucy stepped out of his way as she opened the door, and he entered. The man looked around while Lucy closed the door. She turned to face him, wincing.

"How are you holding up?" He asked. Lucy sighed, her hand getting a slight tremor.

"Pretty good." She said, sighing loudly.

"Right." The man said sarcastically. It seemed like he wanted to add more, but he kept his mouth shut.

"I mean, all things considered…" Lucy replied, her voice trembling. The man looked at her, almost out of instinct. The man sighed and looked away from her, like he wanted to do something about her upset-ness. Lucy let her hair fall over her eyes as she sighed bitterly, folding her arms over her torso and leaning against the wall she stood by.

"Am I going back there?" She asked the man.

"Going back where?" He retorted.

"Am I expected to return to the facility where my co-workers died…?" Lucy replied.

"No…" The man began, "But you are expected to head into Sarif HQ."

"This from the big man himself?" Lucy asked.

"Yes." The man replied. Lucy nodded, and sank to the ground. Lucy began to sob bitterly, though it was quiet. The man came and knelt down in front of her, lightly patting her shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort her. Lucy sat there for a long time before she even began to move. When she did move, she only rested her head on her knees.

"Listen," The man said, "it may not seem like it but I know what you feel."

"Really?" Lucy asked, trying not to sound condescending.

"Yes. I've been head of security for Sarif Industries for almost two years now." The man pointed out. Lucy remained quiet. Her friends all talked about this strange man in charge of security but none knew what he looked like or even his name.

"I was there in the first attack. I was attacked, and nearly killed there, along with 200 others. Including, what we thought, Megan and her team." The man said, "I found out she was still alive but… when I went to go get her it was…It—."

"Don't say anything else. You're going to make me cry all over again." Lucy stopped him, her voice cracking. Lucy moved out of her position to give the man a tight hug around the neck.

"...was too late." He continued, his voice just a whisper now. Lucy then understood, and hugged him tighter.

"She was gone. For real this time." The man said, still in a whisper, "I'll never… I'll never have her back… I'll never be able to hold her..."

"Death is a cruel bitch, isn't she?" Lucy said, trying to lighten the mood through her cracking, sobbing voice. The man hugged her, a surprisingly intimate moment with someone she barely knew. This moment lasted for quite a while, Lucy's sobs slowly controlling themselves. The sudden pounding on her door scared Lucy so much she gave a little shriek. The man was up on his feet instantly, gun pointing at the door. Lucy sat there nervously for a while. The man gave her a nod, as if to say it was ok if she opened the door. Nervously, Lucy got up and walked to the door. Lucy peeked through the peephole, as the man had said she should do. There was a stranger outside. Lucy held her breath and opened the door. The stranger stepped in and bowed his head at Lucy. Lucy nodded in return, chuckling at her reaction.

"Jesus Francis!" the man exclaimed, lowering his gun. Francis looked over at the man, noticing he had his weapon drawn.

"I am very sorry." Francis said to Lucy then turning to the man, "I didn't realize I'd startle you that much, Jensen."

"It's okay…?" Lucy said confused. Jensen gave her a nod and sighed.

"This is Francis Prichard." Jensen said, "He's the head of cyber-security of Sarif Industries."

"If he didn't already tell you," Francis said, "He's Adam Jensen, head of security."

"He didn't tell me his name." Lucy said, rubbing her arms nervously. Lucy began to eye the door, despite herself.

"Have you told her she's to be reporting in?" Francis asked Adam.

"No Francis that's not why I came all this way." Adam replied, sarcastically. Lucy walked to the door and began to watch the hallway.

"What are you even doing here Francis?" Adam asked.

"I wanted to make sure she knew what was happening tomorrow." Francis replied, folding his arms, "Really Jensen I don't see why you insist on calling me 'Francis'. Frank or Prichard is just fine in my book."

"I call you that just to piss you off." Adam said.

Lucy was shaking now. She had a tight grip on the door, as she stared down the hall. She didn't see anything that made her fear for her life in this reality. Lucy quickly shut the door and locked it, causing Prichard and Adam to look at her. Lucy backed away from the door and grabbed the gun Adam had let her borrow. She knelt down and pointed it at the door lightly, her breath uneven and her eyes wide in fear. Adam drew his own weapon while Prichard quietly moved to a safer position, kneeling down without a moment's questioning. Adam looked at Lucy and jerked his head to the side. Lucy watched him carefully, confused on what he wanted. He sighed, pointing at her and then to a safer position. Lucy crept to that position, gun still pointing at the door. Adam hid his pistol and looked out of the peephole. He sighed, and looked back at Lucy. Adam put his weapon away and walked slowly back to Lucy.

"Give me the gun." He said softly. Lucy hesitantly did as she was told, her grip a little tight on the weapon. Adam put the gun away and picked Lucy up. Prichard stood up, and wanted to be annoyed but couldn't find the will to be. Lucy closed her eyes and began to tremble slightly.

"Can you stay here for tonight?" Lucy asked Adam, clinging to him like a child would their mother. Adam said nothing while he brought Lucy into her room.

"I don't think I can." Adam said softly, "But, we'll be making sure you're safe from now on, okay?"

"Okay." Lucy said. Lucy let go of Adam's neck when he placed her legs on the bed.

"If it means anything," Lucy said to Adam, "I'm sorry about what happened to Megan and her team."

"I'm sorry about what happened to Alex, Victoria, and Felipe." Adam said in reply. Lucy nodded and relaxed in her bed, pulling the covers over her head like that would protect her.

When Lucy woke up it was about 7:00. Lucy half expected to see Adam sitting on her couch watching the news, a gun in his hand ready to protect her. However, Adam was not there. Nor was his strange friend Francis. Lucy sighed and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and then opened them. A knock came to Lucy's door.

"It's me, Adam." Adam said through the door.

"Why come back here?" Lucy called out, her heart skipping a beat as she rushed back into her room to get new clothes on.

"Sarif wanted me to walk you in." Adam replied, "May I come in?"

"Yes!" Lucy called to him, shutting the door to her room. Lucy heard Adam enter and take a few steps into her apartment. Lucy finished dressing herself and hesitated at her door. It was a possible trap. Lucy sighed and opened the door, shaking her head.

"Something wrong?" Adam asked.

"I'm being paranoid." Lucy replied simply.

"In all honesty, I'm surprised this place isn't rigged to blow if someone that isn't you is in here." Adam said in a joking tone.

"Or have some private security guards littered about." Lucy added, catching on. Adam smiled and shook his head.

"There's nothing wrong with slight paranoia." Adam replied. Lucy nodded. She put on her most comfortable shoes and grabbed her bag. Lucy gave a nod to Adam to show that she was ready. Adam gave her a nod. The pair left her apartment, and Lucy locked it up. She followed Adam silently as he walked to the elevator. When the pair stepped in, Adam closed his eyes.

"I don't know why I'm saying this…"Adam said, "but you remind me of Megan."

"How do I remind you of Dr. Reed?" Lucy asked.

"It's just...nevermind." Adam said. Lucy watched Adam with a careful stare.

"Is it because we were in similar situations?" Lucy asked. Adam looked at her.

"No...not at all." Adam said, "I began with a stupid topic, so let's just drop it."

"It's fine, Adam." Lucy replied, "I just...I looked up to Dr. Reed. Having you compare me to her came as a pleasant shock."

Adam's lips twitched, as if he wanted to smile but couldn't bring himself to. He looked over at Lucy who had began smiling at him.

"Smiling his healthy for you," Lucy said as the elevator doors opened, "It's been proven to shave years off of your life."

"I haven't smiled much in a long time." Adam replied.

"I know." Lucy said. The strange thing about Adam is that she felt like she knew him forever. It just seemed natural for her to be by his side. Lucy looked back at Adam as they left the streets she normally took to her specific lab in Detroit. Adam seemed, as Lucy noticed, a little tense. Lucy saw people watching them. Quite an odd pair indeed, she realized. Adam's augments weren't hard to miss, so to speak. Adam glanced back at her. Lucy gave him a smile, to show everything was OK in her books. Adam sighed and pressed onward silently. Lucy noticed a man standing there, holding a pen and notepad. He was talking to himself. Lucy instinctually stepped behind Adam, who watched the man closely.

"Oh hey you!" The man said. Lucy watched Adam in confusion.

"Did you get the information you needed?" Adam asked him. He nodded, smiling.

"I was actually hoping to interview your friend here." The man said, turning to Lucy.

"About what?" Adam asked defensively. The reporter ignored Adam.

"I want to know about the attack that happened just yesterday. What do you have to say about it? Do you consider the lives that could have been lost?" The reporter began.

"I'd rather not talk about it…"Lucy said nervously.

"Do you think that your life will ever be safe?" The reporter asked.

"Please don't do this." Lucy said, trying to take shelter behind Adam.

"What about those who died? What do you have to say about that?"

"Enough!" Lucy's voice raised a bit, but didn't quite become a shout.

"It's just questions ma'am." The reporter replied.

"Questions that I can prosecute you for. You're bombarding her with these insensitive questions right after she was strapped to a fucking bomb. You're lucky I haven't hurt you already. Now get the hell out of here before I change my mind." Adam growled. The reporter watched Adam in surprise. Lucy held her breath, waiting for either of them to make a move. The reporter hesitated before flipping his notebook closed.

"I thought you'd be willing to help me out today." The reporter said simply, trying to guilt trip Adam. Adam stared forward. It felt like his gaze could pierce right through anybody who he looked at, Lucy thought. The reporter didn't seem to notice the malice in Adam's stare.

"I don't need to help you anymore." Adam said coldly. The reporter winced at the sudden anger in Adam's voice.

"We should be leaving him now." Lucy said, anxious. Adam broke gaze with the reporter and looked at her, his expression softening. Adam nodded quietly and guided Lucy towards the subway station. Lucy glanced back at the reporter, who had began to follow them. She was not about to tell Adam, who would probably knock the guy unconscious or worse...kill him. Adam didn't take notice of him, which was good. Lucy knew he was just doing his job, but she really didn't want to talk about anything he was going to ask her. Or anybody, for that matter. Lucy hadn't quite been paying attention to where she was going, almost making a wrong turn. Adam's hand suddenly and a little roughly grabbed her wrist, casuing her to stop immediately. Lucy met Adam's gaze.

"Be careful." He said, seeming to be worried. Lucy looked to where she almost walked. A bunch of thugs were standing there, as if waiting for someone to do the same as she did.

"Thanks." Lucy said simply, her hand finding its way into his. It just felt natural to her, but Adam let her go quickly. Lucy let him go too.

He's so insecure about his augments… Lucy thought, I think they give him an edge.

"Our train is boarding soon." Adam said,handing her a Sarif Industries pass. Lucy nodded.

"You can either keep your apartment or move closer to Sarif Industries. Your choice, of course." Adam said.

"Would we be in the same apartment building if I chose to move closer?" Lucy asked. Adam looked at her, a little confused.

"I don't actually know." Adam admitted.

"I'll ask Sarif when we get there." Lucy said, stepping up to the gate. Their train pulled in just after she finished speaking, preventing Adam from commenting. Lucy came onto the train with Adam right behind her. Lucy spotted the reporter entering the same car as them. Lucy sighed and looked away from him, searching for a seat. There were only two available. One was next to a drunken man, who was shouting slurs at another woman, and the other was by the reporter. Lucy shuffled out of the doorway and grabbed onto the railing, unwilling to sit by either of them.

The drunken man acted first, between the reporter and himself. He looked over at her.

"Ain't you prrty!" He said. Lucy clenched her jaw. Adam was watching the reporter.

"C'mere and let me givya somthin!" The man shouted. Lucy made no reply, holding the railing with a tightened grip. The man had gotten up out of his seat.

"Adam…" Lucy whispered, glancing over at the drunk man making his way towards them. Adam looked casually over his shoulder.

"I'd suggest you back away, right now." Adam told him when he got close enough.

"Wydya say that tinman?" The drunk said. Adam clenched his jaw a little.

"She isn't something to be messed with, especially when I'm around." Adam replied, his voice having a little flair of anger. Lucy eyed the drunk carefully, trying to tell him with her eyes this wasn't a good idea.

"Thconverstion was btween hernme." The drunk slurred. The drunk reached out to grab at Lucy's bum. Lucy kicked him in the knee. He dropped to the ground, crying out in pain. Adam looked at Lucy, a little surprised. Lucy nodded at him. Adam began to make his way to the door, while creating a little path for Lucy to slip through. She took it, Adam closing it up as the drunk regained his footing. The two got off and made their way out of the station. Lucy watched behind them as the drunken man and reporter were following them.

"I really shouldn't have done that…" Lucy muttered.

"I think you should have kicked him in the balls." Adam replied. Lucy chuckled, despite herself. Adam was also giving a slight smile. He glanced over his shoulder and sighed as they descended from the staircase. Adam tapped Lucy, his indication for Lucy to begin following him. A police officer walked by them, nodding to Adam. Adam gave him a nod as the policeman walked up to the drunk who was still yelling at Lucy, though now it was incoherent thoughts. The rest of their walk was in silence, as they came up to the doors of Sarif Industries.


End file.
